News Story - Idaho State Journal

POCATELLO -- Shawn Cahoon's quiet demeanor sometimes intimidates his competition, but his mother, Kelly, said that's not his intention.

Shawn, who just earned the High All Around title at the Idaho State Trapshooting Tournament in Lewiston, is just not easily rattled.

"Kids used to tell me, 'Shawn really intimidates me because he never talks,' but he's getting over that," Kelly said.

She said the competition helped Shawn to overcome his shyness.

"He used to kind of just stay to himself,'' Kelly said. ''Now he actually talks to people during the competitions."

Shawn, 15, a sophomore at Highland High, earned the title by hitting 387 clay pigeons during the state competition.

"Out of 400 targets, I beat everybody," he said.

Trap & Field magazine featured Shawn in its July edition and he'll represent Idaho at the Grand American in Sparta, Ill., later this month.

Shawn's big win marks the first time a subjunior shooter has earned the All Around title since 2005.

But trapshooting is a Cahoon family tradition. Shawn took up the sport three years ago, and said he learned from his father, Dee, and his grandfather.

"He just had a knack for it right from the beginning," Dee said.

Meeting new people from throughout the Pacific Northwest is part of the sport's appeal for Shawn, but he said basically, it's just a lot of fun.

"I like going out to win, but if I don't, that okay too," Shawn said.

But his mother said Shawn's attitude of good sportsmanship developed over time.

"He used to get upset if he missed a shot, but now, mom and dad are pacing back and forth, but for Shawn, it's just another day," Kelly said.

He competes in 10 to 12 tournaments each year and shoots about 1,200 shells during each competition.

His shotgun, a three-piece 687 Beretta, cost a staggering $4,600. Ammunition for the shotgun comes in at about $50 for 250 shells.

"(The Beretta) is built heavier for repeated use," said Dee, who also teaches hunter safety courses for Idaho Fish and Game. "A field gun wouldn't hold up to that kind of use."

During his three-year career, Shawn has won about 25 championship belt buckles, a slew of leather goods and outdoor equipment, and about $1,000 in cash.

"We just put the money back into the shoots," Kelly said.

Dee, a maintenance worker at ON Semiconductor, and Kelly, a cafeteria employee at Highland High School, said the regional competitions are expensive.

Entry fees for the events can run as high as $350, plus the cost of ammunition and getting to the shoots.

Dee used to compete with Shawn, but he bowed out to help finance his son's competitive career, and the Cahoons downsized the family vehicle.

"We bought an economy car," Kelly said. "It's not really comfortable, but it's good on gas."

But Dee said the benefits for his son far outweigh the cost.

"Shawn sets goals and achieves them," Dee said. "He's learned how to work hard to achieve his goals."

Shawn shoots four to five boxes of shells twice a week to stay on top of his game.

Next year, he'll be competing in the junior division, and he expects stiffer competition. He plans to continue to hone his skills and shoot his way to the top.

Shawn and his parents plan to fly to Illinois for the Grand American, the country's biggest and most prestigious tournament, scheduled for Aug. 6-16. He'll compete against at least 49 other subjunior champions from across the U.S. in a number of events.

But Shawn said he's not nervous.

This document was originally published online on Monday, August 04, 2008

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